農曆新年牛年就要來到了。那麼，「牛年」我們用英文該怎麼說呢？
「牛年」的「牛」是「cow」「calf」「bull」「cattle」「buffalo」，還是「ox」？
公牛的英文是bull，母牛叫cow，小牛或牛犢則叫calf，buffalo是水牛，而cattle則是對牛的總稱。「牛年」最基本的英語表述是：「Year of the Ox」。
知識拓展
have a cow 暴跳如雷，焦慮不安
例：Don't have a cow─it's no big deal.
別發火，沒什麼大不了。
till the cows come home 很長時間，永遠
例：You can initiate policies until the cows come home, but unless they're monitored at a senior level, you won't get results.
你可以花很長時間來制定政策，但除非高層對之進行監管，否則不會有效果。
a bull in a china shop（不顧環境）笨拙莽撞的人，冒失鬼
例：Still, it'll stop him rampaging all over the place like a bull in a china shop.
儘管如此，這將會讓他不再像個冒失鬼一樣到處橫衝直撞了。
take the bull by the horns 勇敢面對困境（或險境）
例：Now is the time for the Chancellor to take the bull by the horns and announce a two per cent cut in interest rates.
現在是財政大臣迎難而上，宣布利率下調兩個百分點的時候了。
a red rag to a bull 鬥牛的紅布，激起人怒火的事物
例：This sort of information is like a red rag to a bull for the tobacco companies.
菸草公司知道了這種消息一定會大怒。
We must lead an ox by the halter.
牽牛要牽牛鼻子。
Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; headbowed, like a willing ox I serve the children.
橫眉冷對千夫指，俯首甘為孺子牛。